Washington, DC (December 2, 2009) – Three–time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi, a former Pro-Bowl linebacker with the New England Patriots, will be featured on this month’s episode of ‘Sharing Miracles’ – a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients. ‘Sharing Miracles’ airs every week on more than 300 television stations nationwide.

Bruschi had made a name for himself as a defensive star for the Pats despite his relatively small size. However in February 2005 – just days after playing in that year’s Pro-Bowl – Bruschi suffered a debilitating stroke that seemed certain to derail his professional career.

In this month’s episode of ‘Sharing Miracles’, he discusses his experience: “Obviously, I never expected to suffer from a stroke. I was 31 years old and had just experienced the best season of my career. I had been home from the Pro Bowl for a day-and-a-half when I woke up in the middle of the night experiencing stroke-like symptoms.”

Eventually, he was diagnosed not just with a stroke, but also with a patent foramen ovale, or a congenital defect that leaves a tiny, potentially life-threatening hole in the heart. Bruschi was paralyzed, with partial loss of vision, and was facing surgery to repair the hole in his heart.

Not surprisingly, he assumed that he would never play football again, and announced his retirement.

However, he says: “During my recovery period, I just kept getting better,” leading him to wonder whether a return to football, though against the odds, was in his future. Still, “more than my physical recovery, being retired and realizing that I could come back to professional football was something that I had to deal with emotionally.”

He not only needed the blessing of his doctors, he also asked for the backing of his wife and family. In October 2005, just eight months after suffering a stroke, Bruschi returned to football, winning honors as Comeback Player of the Year.

Bruschi attributes much of his recovery to the persistence that he developed growing up in football: “I was always told that I was too small or too short or too slow to play defensive line. There were a lot of doubts throughout my career, but that always gave me motivation to prove the doubters wrong.”

Finally, in 2009, Bruschi announced his permanent retirement from the sport. His 13-year-record is one of nearly unmatched achievement, with more than 1,100 tackles. He is also the only player in NFL history to return four consecutive interceptions for touchdowns. At his final retirement announcement, Pats Coach Bill Belichick called Bruschi the “perfect player.” Today, Bruschi works as a game-day analyst for ESPN.

Appearing in this month’s episode to discuss Bruschi’s courageous comeback are Super Bowl champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, Pro Football Hall of Fame member Len Dawson, and Pats coach Belichick.

Also appearing on the program is Abbott scientist Dr. Gary Gordon, who speaks about the development of medicines and the potential promise offered by biologic medicines. In fact, America’s pharmaceutical research companies currently have more than 300 new medicines in development for heart disease and stroke.

Next month’s episode of ‘Sharing Miracles’ will highlight Major League Baseball All-Star Aaron Boone, who recovered from a March 2009 open-heart surgery to return to baseball just months later.

Previous episodes of ‘Sharing Miracles’ have featured Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden, an advocate of breast cancer awareness; actor Danny Glover, who suffered from epilepsy; legendary Major League Baseball manager and cancer survivorJoe Torree; Grammy Award-winning country music superstar Naomi Judd, who overcame Hepatitis C; pioneering rapper and actor Ice-T, who speaks about his battle with heart disease; baseball great Darryl Strawberry, who twice beat colon cancer; former Philadelphia Phillies star and ESPN commentator John Kruk, who overcame testicular cancer; Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Football Hall-of-Famer Mike Ditka, who suffers from heart disease; and Super Bowl Champion and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who has asthma.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $50.3 billion in 2008 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.2 billion in 2008.